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Projects Updates for theme: Engagement

  1. Glass Filler Retrofit_Funding Award and Acceptance

    Associated Project(s): 
    Water Fountain Retrofit
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Reduce Single-Use Plastics

    By providing convenient bottle filling stations at water fountains in several heavily-trafficked campus buildings and libraries, the goal of this project was to wean the student body off of plastic water bottle consumption, lower campus waste generation, and encourage students, faculty, staff, and visitors to adopt environmentally-conscious habits. A marketing campaign called “Tap That” was coordinated to publicize the project and educate the campus community about the numerous benefits of reusable water bottles. In total, the project expenses were $15,160.

    Attached Files: 

  2. Don't ditch Diesel Yet

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    When most people think about clean energy, many just think wind and solar. However, the truth is that with the rapid increase in technology and innovation within the last few decades, the possibilities for renewable energy have increased exponentially. Biodiesel, for instance, is one that many people are not familiar with but should be because it is leading the way in clean fuel production. Biodiesel is a renewable, clean-burning diesel replacement that can be made from a diverse mix of feedstocks including recycled cooking oil, soybean oil, and animal fats.


    In addition to the club, the team working on this project found that an education component would be very beneficial to spreading their overarching goals of sustainability across the campus. Because of that, they created a class that students from all disciplines can take and piloted it this semester. The objective of the class competent is to educate students on the project and hopefully increase student and campus involvement in sustainability. I had the opportunity to check out the class earlier this week. I got to see the entire progress that the oil goes through first hand, and it was incredible. The SSC plans to follow up again after they are moved into their permanent location so stay tuned for further progress and innovation updates.UIUC is participating in the development and expansion of biodiesel in many ways. On campus, there is a registered student organization dedicated to it called The Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI). Their primary mission is to produce biodiesel and soap from waste vegetable oil (WVO) collected from campus dining halls in an effort to reduce emissions and promote sustainability on campus. The Student Sustainability Committee initially voted to fund the Illinois Biodiesel Initiative during its 2012-13 funding cycle; however, due IBI being forced out of their old site at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, SSC funding was put on hold. While they wait for their permanent site in the Integrated Bioprocessing Research Laboratory, IBI is currently running scaled-down production in a space in Roger Adams Laboratory.

    In the meantime, aside from the class, there are several other opportunities to get involved with the initiative and in the club. Students can join any of the four subgroups which include production/testing, Soap (production or research), Finance, and Special Projects. They are always looking for new members from all grade levels.

    Attached Files: 

  3. Educating Future Leaders_Funding Award and Acceptance

    Associated Project(s): 
    Teaching Sustainability Workshop aka Prairie Project [ARCHIVED]
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    This is a two-part project. Part 1 is the development of a K-12 sustainability education online resource, probably in the form of a website. There are many existing online educational resources for teaching about sustainability in K-12 education, but they are scattered and some of the information is poor quality and some is difficult to find. Part 2 is a proposal for funding “new” course development and delivery. The course would cover both content information related to sustainability and methods for teaching it. Students would complete a major project that could involve either K-12 education or on-campus UI student education.

    Attached Files: 

  6. Medicine Take-Back Program_Funding Award and Acceptance

    Associated Project(s): 
    Medicine Take-Back Program [ARCHIVED]
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Background: Pharmaceutical chemicals have been documented in rivers, lakes, groundwater, soil, and treated drinking water across the country. Despite occurring at very low levels, the chemicals are known to cause changes in behavior, reproduction, and growth in fish, frogs, mussels, and other aquatic wildlife. Unused medications stored in the home may also be sources for drug misuse and abuse.

    Goal: To help tackle these environmental and social issues, Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant (IISG) is working to establish a medicine collection program for the University of Illinois Campus and the C-U community that would properly dispose of expired or unused medications via EPA-recommended incineration.

    Attached Files: 

  8. Orchard Downs Sustainable Landscape_Funding Award and Acceptance

    Associated Project(s): 
    Orchard Downs Multifunctional Landscape (ODMFL) [ARCHIVED]
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Attached Files: 

  10. Solar Farm Funding Award and Acceptance Letter

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Farm 1.0
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    The 5.87 megawatt (MW) Solar Farm will increase the generation of renewable energy on campus and help meet goals outlined in the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP). The Solar Farm will produce an estimated 7.86 million kilowatt-hours (kWh) the first year or approximately 2% of the electrical demand for the Urbana campus based upon usage projections for fiscal year 2015.

    Attached Files: 

  11. Sustainable Agricultural Food System_Funding Award and Acceptance

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainable Agricultural Food System
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Attached Files: 

  12. TBH Lighting Controls_Funding Award and Acceptance

    Associated Project(s): 
    TBH Lighting Project
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    $62,900 was awarded to instill occupancy sensors and lighting timers in various locations within Temple Buell Hall. This was intended to encourage awareness of energy use among design students and faculty, and to reduce lighting and cooling energy use in the building.

    Attached Files: 

  13. Perennial Polyculture Production_Funding Award and Acceptance

    Associated Project(s): 
    Woody Perennial Polyculture (WPP) Research Site
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)
    Attached Files: 

  14. Bridge to China Allerton Project_Funding Award and Acceptance

    Associated Project(s): 
    Allerton Climate Action Plan (apCAP)
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Allerton Park, located in Monticello, Ill., was previously the private estate of Robert Henry Allerton. In 1946 Allerton Park was given as a gift to the University of Illinois by Robert Allerton as “an educational and research center, as a forest and wildlife and plant-life reserve, as an example of landscape architecture, and as a public park”. Today, the park is used for various purposes, such as business meetings, hiking, and weddings.

    Allerton Park is 4.7 miles away from downtown Monticello and has three entrances to it. One of these entrances is a North Entrance that leads from Old Timber Road. Allerton Park wishes to construct a pedestrian pathway which runs alongside Old Timber Road, connecting the Visitor Centre of the park to County Farm Road, which is connected to downtown Monticello. However, a quarter mile north from the visitors center the path is obstructed by a creek, which is difficult to cross. Allerton Park needs a solution that would help connect the two ends of this path over the creek. They wish to construct a bike path that would connect all three entrances of the Park and be a form of transportation within the park. Allerton Park wishes to draw visitors towards the park via a safe and sustainable transportation method and to promote a positive relationship between users and the natural environment. Also, this bridge project will assist the student organization, Bridge to China, to build sustainable bridges in future bridge projects in China.

    Attached Files: 

  15. Engineers Without Borders Nigeria Water Project

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Groups with Sustainability Focus

    The University of Illinois chapter of Engineers Without Borders worked on a project to find clean water sources of water for the Nigerian village of Adu Achi. Previously, residents of Adu Achi relied on water sources that were up to 3 kilometers away and struggled with contaminated water.

    The project began with a site assessment in August 2006, but project meeting have continued through the Spring 2013 semester.

    For more information, visit https://sites.google.com/site/ewbuiucenugustatewaterproject/.

  17. How to Make Your Campus Green presentations

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach

    Morgan Johnston met with a delegation from Mumbai, India, to tell them how we are making our campus more sustainable. 

    Jack Dempsey has been asked to speak to two different delegations this June about the same topic.    The first group is from  a group of private universities in India, sponsored by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and is coming on a program promoted by Pradeep Khanna and his staff in Corporate Relations.  The second group is from a group of institutions in Pakistan with whom we have had a longstanding relationship:  COMSATS Institutes of Information Technology. 

  18. Chapter Initiatives 2013

    Associated Project(s): 
    Teens Turning Green

    On Monday, April 8 and Tuesday, April 9 the Teens Turning Green University of Illinois chapter hosted several events as part of the Teens Turning Green (TTG) Organization's College Road Tour. On April 8 TTG has samples of green products on the quad from 2-4 pm and a Town Hall Meeting in LAR's Main Lounge from 6- 8:30 pm. A Conscious Information Station was set up on the Quad from 10 am- 2 pm on April 9. TTG estimates they readed out to about 200 people over the course of these events.

  19. IBI team considering trailer for equipment location

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI)

    Amanda Lietz met with Stephanie Lage and Morgan Johnston to discuss the next steps for the Illinois Biodiesel Initiative (IBI).  They are looking into the possibility of purchasing an all-inclusive bioreactor trailer which would handle the entire reaction needed to change the waste vegetable oil into biodiesel and soap.  The IBI students are going to identify the exact trailer specifications they are looking for and work with F&S to identify an appropriate location for the trailer.

  20. Earth Week 2013 website

    Associated Project(s): 
    Center for a Sustainable Environment (CSE) [ARCHIVED]

    earth2.jpgEarth Week 2013

    The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign will be celebrating Earth Week on April 20-26. Earth Week is a time to promote awareness and appreciation for the Earth's environment, sustainable living and earth awareness. 

    Several exciting activities are being planned for the week. We hope you will join us in celebrating!

     

     

    All Week

    The One Shirt National Collegiate Clothing Challenge - The ARC and CRCE will be collecting clothing to be donated to local charities!
     

    Saturday, April 20

    8:00am-12:00n: Countywide Residential Electronics Collection
    The News-Gazette Distribution Center, 3202 Apollo Drive, Champaign (access to the Distribution Center is at the intersection of North Market Street and Olympian Drive)
    Got an old TV, computer monitor, or other electronic items not being used anymore?  Area residents are invited to bring old or unwanted electronic items to the upcoming Countywide Residential Electronics Collection to have these items responsibly recycled or refurbished.  Several teams of community service volunteers will be on hand to unload electronic items from residents’ vehicles.  No fees will be collected from persons dropping off items. Information about the upcoming collection on April 20 is available on the Champaign County Regional Planning Commission (CCRPC) website at www.ccrpc.org.  Persons may also contact CCRPC at 217-328-3313 with questions about the collection.

    12:00n-2:00pm: Campus and Community Day of Service
    Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), Champaign

    Members of the local community and University of Illinois faculty, staff, and students will join forces to kick off National Volunteer Week 2013, which will take place from April 21-27. One project that is already being planned involves packaging 146,000 meals - one thousand for every year of public engagement since the University was chartered - for local foodbanks to be distributed to needy families in Champaign-Urbana. The University's National Soybean Research Laboratory created the recipe in-house, so it's an "Illinois" meal. Hundreds of volunteers are needed for the food packaging project, so we are volunteering as a group for the 12 ' 2 p.m. time slot. We would love for you, your family and friends, or colleagues to join us. (Children 12 and up are eligible to participate). Contact Laura Bleill lwbleill@illinois.edu for more information and to register your company; we will register as a group.


    2:00-4:00pm: "Blooms, Not Butts"
    The UI Wellness Center and Masters of Public Health program are organizing a cigarette litter cleanup project. Volunteers will pick up litter and distribute flowers and cards, emphasizing two benefits of campus going smoke-free: beautification of our surroundings, and a cleaner environment for all. After the collection, students will build creative displays out of the litter in a live contest at the Environmental Expo (April 23, from 11am-2pm in the Union Courtyard Café). Cash prizes and more will be awarded. We are still looking for volunteers for both the pickup and the display contest! Contact Paula Chmiel at chmiel1@illinois.edu to volunteer at the pickup; submit ideas for a chance to be chosen for the contest here:  http://goo.gl/mxkNw. More info:http://www.campusrec.illinois.edu/Smoke-Free/blooms_not_butts/faq.html.

     

    Sunday, April 21

    11:00am-1:00pm: Exit Signs Scavenger Hunt
    Meet at Engineering Plaza, between Everett and Engineering Hall
    We will show you how to spot incandescent-lighted Exit Signs and equip you with blueprints of what signs to check for these incandescent lights. The "training" should takes than ten minutes, and then you can be on your way! Bring some friends and compete to see who can find the most or use it as an excuse to explore a building you've never been in before! Then, celebrate a job well done of "greening" campus by enjoying some delicious pizza! For more information please contact Becca Nothof at nothof2@illinois.edu.

     

    Monday, April 22 (Earth Day)

    12:00n: Town Hall Meeting
    Beckman Auditorium 
    We encourage you to attend the upcoming Town Hall meeting on April 22 at noon in the Beckman Auditorium.
    Our plan at this meeting is to share a vision and set of strategic actions for Illinois. These actions were developed based on the Chancellor's year-long listening and learning tour and the recent campuswide Visioning Future Excellence process. As you know, higher education is at a crossroads and we must be ready to embrace and lead change. We believe the plan we are developing will increase the impact, excellence, and visibility of our institution. What we do now will position the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign for success for the next 20-50 years.

    2:00-5:00pm: Campus Sustainability Symposium
    Illini Union, Rooms A&B, 1401 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 
    .Presentations and Poster Session, light refreshments

    6:30-8:00pm: Green Cleaning Workshop - Learn how to make your own green cleaning supplies!
    Illini Union, room C, 1401 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 
    Student participants will be given "recipes" to make green cleaning items and will be able to take home what they make. The event is aimed to teach students how to make environmentally-friendly cleaning supplies and give information on resources for moving out of their apartment. Sponsored by the Tenant Union.

    7:30pm: Movie "Dr. Seuss's The Lorax" 
    On The Quad (ARC Auditorium rainy day backup)

     

    Tuesday, April 23

    11:00am-2:00pm: Environmental Expo
    Illini Union, Courtyard Café, 1401 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL 
    Campus Environmental groups and various activities like planter pot painting and seeds to plant

    12:00n: Center for a Sustainable Environment Director Presentation
    2311 Newmark
    William Sullivan says he gets to wake up every morning and do things he loves. Through his research, teaching, and engagement, he helps create a healthier, more sustainable world. Sullivan is Professor of Landscape Architecture and leads the Sustainability and Health laboratory at the University of Illinois. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan with a concentration in Environment and Behavior. Sullivan is immediate Past President of the Council of Environmental Deans and Directors and just finished 3 terms (6 years) as a member of the National Academies’ Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Environmental Health Science, Research, and Medicine.  He is an active member of the University’s Education Justice Project and lead the Environmental Council at Illinois from 2003 to 2008. Sullivan teaches courses on Environmental Sustainability, the Built Environment and Human Health, and Human Factors in Design. You can visit his website at: www.willsull.net.. There will be pizza at 11:30.

    5:00-7:00pm: Joint Open House -- Champaign County Greenways & Trails Plan Update / Illinois Bike Transportation Plan
    Illinois Terminal City View, 4th Floor, 45 E. University Avenue, Champaign 
    CCRPC will be hosting the second public meeting for the Champaign County Greenways & Trails Plan update; and Alta Planning+Design will be present regarding the Illinois Bike Transportation Plan, which is the bicycle element of IDOT’s Long Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). Stop by anytime there is no formal presentation or agenda, just stay as little or as long as you like.For more information: Web: http://www.ccrpc.org/greenways/news.php or
    Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/events/562866970400737/

    6:30pm: Your Environmental Road Trip screening - (YERT)
    University YMCA, 1001 S. Wright Street, Champaign

     

    Wednesday, April 24

    11:00am-3:00pm: Biker Blender Smoothies!
    Anniversary Plaza (in between the Quad and the Union)

    11:30am-1:30pm: Building Systems Thinking on the Front Lines of Sustainability: Project-Based Teaching Approaches and an Online Data Sharing Tool
    NCSA, 1205 W. Clark, room 1040, Urbana, IL
    Systems thinking, understanding the interconnections among environmental, social and economic components, is critical to advancing progress on sustainability challenges. Developing systems thinking requires a deep understanding of the complexity of sustainability issues that can only be gained by studying real-world situations. Helping students learn how to frame open-ended, real-world projects is challenging, and doing so within the context of scattered information and data from multiple community partners is even more so. This workshop will highlight approaches, successes, and learning lessons from a two-year effort to develop interdisciplinary project-based coursework in Champaign, Chicago, and Chennai, India. An online tool called Medici, developed at the National Center for Supercomputing Applications for sharing diverse data and information collections, will also be demonstrated. Opportunities for future class and research projects to build upon these data and information collections in the future will be explored with participants.
    Registration is required. Lunch will be provided

    9:00-10:30pm: Benefit Concert/Open Mic Night
    Red Herring, 1209 W. Oregon, Urbana
    Featured bands include Illini Contraband, Justin Ronton, and Mischief Makers!

     

    Thursday, April 25

    11:00am-3:00pm: AgroEcology and Sustainable Agriculture Symposium 
    Illini Union, 1401 W. Green Street, room 314A, Urbana
    The University of Illinois Agroecology and Sustainable Agriculture Program (ASAP)
    will host a special symposium entitled "Understanding and Addressing the
    Anti-GE Critique."
    "This year we decided our annual Earth Day event would attempt to answer students' questions about GE plants. Inquiring minds want to know what all the fuss is about," said Michelle Wander, symposium organizer, ASAP director, and professor in the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences in the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences. "Some believe GE plants are essential contributors to sustainable agriculture, enabling huge gains in productivity and efficiency by preventing pest problems and alleviating the need to treat them; others see GE as a technology that concentrates control of agriculture and reduces consumer choice, making us use more resources to achieve diminishing returns. We recognize that this is a complex subject and hope many views are shared," Wander said. 
    The event is free and open to the public. Registration is not required but is encouraged. To register, visithttp://asap2013.eventbrite.com. Presentations will be given by four speakers followed by a panel. 
     

    6:00-8:00pm: Champaign-Urbana Green Initiatives Social Event
    Escobar's Restaurant, 6 E. Columbia, Champaign
    Come celebrate Earth Week with fellow earth-friendly folks. During the evening, we will hear updates on Champaign's possible bag ordinance (Councilwoman Deb Feinen), the Mahomet Aquifer Sole Source Aquifer Petition (Champaign Assistant Attorney Joe Hooker), the Urbana Climate Action Plan and other sustainability initiatives (Urbana Mayor Prussing), and the state bill to establish hydrofracking regulations (tbd).  In addition to our special-topic guests, we will also be inviting members of the Urbana and Champaign city councils and General Assembly representatives.  This is a great opportunity to meet our local policymakers and have conversations about important, local environmental issues.  Free appetizers will be provided but drinks are on your own. This event is co-sponsored by Sierra Club, Prairie Rivers Network, Faith in Place, and Audubon Society.  Hope you can join us! 


    6:30-9:30pm - CyclingSavvy Course - Truth & Techniques of Traffic Cycling
    Natural Resources Building, Room 101, 615 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign (Enter through South East Doors)
    Free and open to all 15 years and older, regardless of cycling experience.
    Using guided discussion along with photos, illustrations, animations and videos, this classroom course provides all the knowledge you need to drive your bike safely and confidently in traffic. Knowledge of the Law covers the legal rights and responsibilities of cyclists. Knowledge of Bicycling Safety shows that cycling is safe and that understanding the causes of bicycle crashes and how to avoid them makes cycling safer still. Knowledge of Traffic Cycling Problem Solving examines a variety of traffic cycling situations (including local video) and how a savvy cyclist negotiates them.
    For more information, see CyclingSavvyIllinois.notlong.com.

     



    Friday, April 26

    12:00n: Sustainable Innovations Seminar Series "American Energy Policy and Other Funny Stories" presented by Michael Webber, University of Austin, TX
    Illini Union, room C, 1401 W. Green Street, Urbana, IL Lunch will be provided. Registration is required by Thursday, April 18.
    This talk will share funny anecdotes and revealing conundrums from four decades of sub-optimal US energy policy.  It begins with an overview of global energy trends, with a particular focus on the history and evolving role of US energy production and consumption.  Part entertainment and part college lecture, this talk has some surprising points of view, mythbusting revelations, and fun facts scattered along the way about the dysfunctional world of modern policy-making.  It includes an overview of the latest developments in the energy sector (such as the revolution in fracking, and the recent price drops for solar panels), and closes with optimism that despite a determination by policymakers to worsen the situation, the energy outlook is quite rosy anyway.


    4:00pm: Sustainable Foods Discussion and Picnic!
    Illini Grove Shelter House
    featuring numerous U of I professors from all fields


    HOPE TO SEE YOU ALL OUT AND ABOUT! 
    MAKE EVERYDAY EARTH DAY!

     

    Sponsors: 
    Center for a Sustainable Environment, Student Sustainability Committee, Student Sustainability Committee, Activites and Recreation Center, Illini Union, Facilities & Services, Grounds Division, University Housing, UI Wellness Center, Espresso Royale, Big Grove Restaurant, and the Tenant Union.

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